Continuum of HIV/AIDS Care

HRSA’s Continuum is a graphical depiction of the spectrum of circumstances for being in and out of HIV/AIDS care. At one end is unawareness of HIV status and not in care. At the other is being fully engaged in care.

The Continuum is a tool to help programs determine which clients are engaged in care (from fully to not at all) and how to respond accordingly in terms of resources and programs best suited to engage people in care.

The Continuum was developed for a 2005 HRSA consultation, convened in response to recognition of the significant number of individuals not in care and how best to engage people in HIV/AIDS care. Reflective of its fluidity, the continuum concept has been continuously used to illustrate the concept of care engagement in journal literature, Ryan White planning bodies, and even modified and adopted by others, such as Los Angeles County as part of a conceptual model for a continuum of HIV services.